The Philadelphia 76ers ended their season in the worst possible way: a decisive elimination against the New York Knicks a lopsided Game 4 loss in front of their home crowd, and once again plenty of questions about the future.
Still, in the postgame, Joel Embiid struck a different tone than usual. More relaxed, more optimistic – especially when talking about his body.
The Cameroonian big man, who has spent most of recent years dealing with injuries, now seems to finally see a positive opening.
I’m confident. My knee was my main concern, but now I don’t think about it anymore. If we keep working like this, I won’t have to worry about it again
Joel Embiid
Words Philadelphia hopes can truly signal a fresh start. Over the last 10 NBA seasons, Embiid has played just 490 regular-season games total not counting the first two years of his career that he missed entirely. In one way or another, every Sixers season has always been tied to his health.
These playoffs were no exception. A month ago, the Sixers center underwent emergency appendectomy surgery, returning to the floor after only 17 days. On top of that, during the series against New York, he also dealt with hip and ankle issues, missing Game 2 and clearly playing far from full strength.
And despite those physical setbacks, Embiid had helped carry Philadelphia in its stunning comeback against Boston in the first round after trailing 3-1 in the series. One of the best playoff stretches of his career.
I give him a lot of credit. He worked his tail off to get back on the floor. It was really difficult for him, especially in Game 3. Today he felt a little better, but he gave everything he had
Nick Nurse
Then something went wrong again. In Game 7 against the Celtics, Tyrese Maxey accidentally fell into his legs, and from that point on Embiid never regained consistent mobility against New York.
The 2023 MVP admitted many of his recent problems were connected to the surgery:
Everything I dealt with recently was related to the procedure. Coming back that quickly, my core was still weak and the rest of my body paid for it. Hip, adductors… everything was out of balance
Joel Embiid
He is not making excuses, but the message is clear: entering the playoffs without proper physical preparation carried a major cost.
You don’t have time to really prepare. You go straight from rehab into playoff basketball. But I fought, I tried to give everything to help the team
Joel Embiid
Still, the feeling is that this summer could finally be different. Embiid explained that he feels ready to work on his game instead of spending entire months in rehab. And that may be the most important news of all for the Sixers.
At the same time, the disappointment remains massive after another early playoff exit. Philadelphia has now been eliminated in the second round six times in its last nine playoff appearances with Embiid, and the franchise still has not reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
Against the Knicks in Game 4, it was barely competitive. New York came out scorching from three-point range and overwhelmed Philadelphia from the opening minutes.
I’m proud of this team. We fought all season long. Sometimes you also have to recognize the other team was simply better
Joel Embiid
Then came his final message, aimed at the entire organization:
We all have to get better. Ownership, front office, players, coaches… everyone
Joel Embiid
In Philadelphia, the time for promises has long been over. But if Embiid can truly leave his health problems behind at last, the Sixers may still have one final chance to make a real run.
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